Country fans make Tamworth pilgrimage

(AAP) - International stars, buskers and tourists alike are descending on the mecca of Australian country music.

Some, like two time Golden Guitar winner Felicity Urquhart, have been making the
pilgrimage to the Tamworth Country Music Festival all their lives, while others will
experience the rite of passage for the first time.
The 10-day event, which has launched the careers of so many country music stars,
kicks off on Friday with about 50,000 people expected to attend throughout the
festival.
Urquhart, who was born and bred in Tamworth, fondly remembers starting out as one of
the many buskers lining Peel Street trying to get noticed.
Since then she has recorded three albums, won two Golden Guitars, two Australian
Country Music People's Choice Awards and been named the Australian Songwriters'
Association Country Songwriter of the Year.
For her, returning to Tamworth is going home.
"Mum and dad still live in the house I grew up in ... they have all the cousins and
the rellies, that is half (my) audience," Urquhart jokes.
Urquhart struggles to name her favourite part of the festival, there are just too many.
"I love the free concert that kicks (the festival) off, everyone gets excited that
the festival has officially opened and I love (all the) free events ... I also love
to go and hang out at The Pub, at any given day there is always incredible
entertainment on at The Pub," Urquhart says.
"You can see anyone from Bill Chambers to Troy Cassar-Daley, getting up just for a
random song on someone's gig, you just never know who you are going to see there."
There will be over 800 artists performing at the festival and 2,500 shows, including
rodeos and talent quests, across 80 different venues.
Along with performances by big-name artists, tribute shows are becoming a festival
highlight, Tourism Tamworth general manager Rebel Thomson says.
"What we are seeing is the emergence of tribute shows to some of the international
acts that were greats in country music like Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, they have
become favourites of the festival as well," Thomson says.
Among the many famous faces to be found beneath akubras at the festival this year
are Guy Sebastian, Kasey Chambers, Lee Kernaghan, Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Brand.
"The festival has become almost like a right-of-passage, you must go to Tamworth
once in your lifetime," Thomson said.
"Once (people) have experienced it once, they become dedicated followers."